Shropshire Star

Shropshire health services facing big shake-up to tackle £120 million funding gap

Shropshire's NHS health chiefs are awaiting Government approval for plans to tackle a predicted gap in funding of more than £120 million.

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NHS England is considering Shropshire's draft Sustainability and Transformation Plan, which sets out a number of service cuts and changes, which would help tackle the predicted deficit in the county's health and social care services, expected to be £123 million by 2021.

Measures in the proposal include the Future Fit reconfiguration of A&E services at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Princess Royal Hospital in Telford, reducing spending on orthopaedic services by £4.5 million a year, and looking to ensure that people are treated in Shropshire wherever possible – potentially saving £12 million.

The report also says the rationalisation of acute services at RSH, PRH and Oswestry Orthopaedic Hospital could save between £3 million and £5 million a year.

Plans to close the A&E at either RSH or PRH are also estimated to save about £22 million a year, although it require £300 million of capital to complete. The STP states its vision is to make Shropshire's population the "healthiest on the planet".

But the report reveals the scale of the financial task facing health providers in the county. The organisations that commission health services are currently predicting a deficit of £20 million for this year, and the organisations that provide health services are projecting a £21.5 million deficit.

Announcing the plan earlier this year, Simon Wright, chief executive of Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, who is the local lead for Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin's STP, said: "For health and social care to meet the needs of future patients in a sustainable way, we need to close the gaps in health, finance and quality of care."

Shropshire's hospitals are reviewing whether orthopaedic services should be provided on three separate sites as part of a bid to save £4.5 million.

Orthopaedic services are provided at Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital in Gobowen, at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.

The STP claims that the county is spending more on the services than areas of similar size.

It states: "We need to ensure services provided are appropriate and provide value for money for the taxpayer; this review will also address whether having two general acute sites and specialist orthopaedic site is the right configuration."

Richard Caddy, speaking on behalf of Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Groups, which are part of the STP, said an updated plan would be submitted in October.

He said: "It is no secret that the NHS is looking to make major efficiencies and the best way of doing so is for local doctors, hospitals and councils to work together to decide the way forward in consultation with local communities.

"Proposals are currently at a draft stage which represents early thinking. An updated plan will be submitted in October, with further formal public engagement and consultation taking place from this point, as appropriate. Guidance should be published about this soon."

Campaign group 38 Degrees has been looking at 44 STPs across the country and said they are being drawn up to meet significant cuts in national funding.

Laura Townshend, director at 38 Degrees, said the findings show the NHS is "dangerously under-funded".

She said: "These proposed cuts aren't the fault of local NHS leaders. The health service is struggling to cope with growing black holes in NHS funding. These new revelations will be a test of Theresa May's commitment to a fully-funded National Health Service. The NHS belongs to all of us – so local people should get a say in any changes to their local services."

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